Don’t worry, while Zwift might ignore Zwift running, Garmin didn’t. A Zwift run with heart rate will provide Training Load, Training Effect, and Primary Benefit with one caveat, you will not get VO2Max estimates, as those require GPS speed/pace and so if you do not get one of those for 2 weeks outside, Training Status will go into a No Status state as it does today."
not that this isn't quite correct as Training status can now run on much older and different vo2max due to HRV status; so even if your VO2max is based off walking or general as long as you have a HRV status you will get a training status. I no longer run regularly - been a couple of months since I last ran and still have a training status.
That DCR article was written 2 years ago, I think that was accurate at the time, but in the time since then the firmware has been updated and now behaves as you describe.
Indeed, the part about losing the training status might not be true, thinking of it as the watch might/will find another way of calculating a VO2 max if no running or biking VO2 max is available for 30 days; for example it could be a walking VO2 max or an “all-day heart rate” VO2 max. Not quite sure how the switch would impact the training status…
But you can find yourself in the situation where you still have qualifying running VO2 max within the 30 day period, and swift or treadmill runs will not update your VO2 max. it is unclear whether non-qualifying runs are still considered as part of training history for things like race predictions, daily suggestions and such. I have been wondering about this question for trail running as well, knowing that it is possible to exclude these runs from the VO2 max updates and calculations
Not quite sure how the switch would impact the training status
It still impacts it - HRV status has made a massive improvement to training status as personally it seems to fit much better now and regularly see much more focussed status updates.
Prime example is I am really suffering from hayfever at the moment - so my stress is absolutely knackered during the day and during my sleep period. HRV status is currently low (first time ever - never been this bad even when suffering from jet lag); and the comment is suggesting that it may indicate excess strain. Training status has kicked over from productive (usually swop between maintaining and productive) to Strained (Your performance ability is currently limited with inadequate recovery as a probable cause. This can occur, for example, during periods of unusually high training load. Alternatively, health and lifestyle factors may be interfering with your ability to bounce back from strenuous activities. Consider taking it easy until your body catches up) - and that is so true - feels like an elephant sitting on my chest half the day and just going up the steps in the house can cause excessive HR increase - struggling with sleep, recovery. Complete nightmare - and watch status is full reflecting all of that. I am now on steroids spary etc and have dialled right back, and we got a bit of relief last 2 mights with some rain - and while stress is still severly impacted I did get a bit of stress free sleep last night and overnight HRV bounced back to just under baseline - but know that even once good that HRV status will take a week or so to probably bounce back - though training status does a lot quicker as not just taking HRV status into account. (PS the other night even saw recovery time increase and got a couple of high stress alerts).
Yes, I am with you on the impact of HRV on training status. I was talking about the impact of the change of VO2 Max reference to the training status.
Depending on the availability and recency of running VO2 Max, cycling VO2 Max or walking VO2 Max, the watch picks a VO2 Max number as the main VO2 Max. That main VO2 Max is the one used for training status.
In my case, I have seen the main VO2 Max switch between running and biking back and forth and that made the the training status switch between maintaining and productive since one is lower that the other by 4 points.
So, about the OP's question, the absence of VO2 Max from Swift runs (bike activities are OK) could lead the watch to look for another valid VO2 Max and that would impact the training status depending on the difference.
